Geneva Green Market: Geneva, Illinois – A Local Food Green Farmers Market

Hasselmann Family Farm has a long family history of farming in Illinois. Spend a minute with fourth generation family farmer, Scott Hasselmann and you’ll hear amazing stories about the family-farming lineage. His grandparents and great-grandparents were vegetable farmers and his father and grandfather were mushroom farmers.

Having a full-time, fully operational farm has always been Scott’s dream. Life always led him in this direction, as he cared for animals beginning at a young age and studied agronomy in college. Scott was a Peace Corp Ag Volunteer in Nicaragua where he worked with small farmers.

Five years ago, Scott was working part-time as a hobby on his grandfather’s farm while working another full-time job. During this time he committed to developing the Hasselmann Family Farm into a full-time venture and two years ago he turned from hobbyist to full-time farmer.

Hasselmann’s Farm is 100% a family farm, with both Scott’s wife and father totally instrumental in the growth and operation of the farm. They have just moved to an 80-acre farm in Marengo, McHenry County.

Hasselmann Family Farm is a small, diversified farm and you can see their sustainability practices in every element of their farming.

• They apply the pastoral approach to farming, similar to the way our ancestors farmed. Illinois was originally a prairie and wasn’t made for monoculture farming, to grow single crops over a wide area year after year or raise one species of livestock, which leads to pathogen susceptibility.
• Everything is moved to fresh grass daily or every other day, so it is a dead-end for pathogens.
• They raise a multitude of livestock and crops that live out on the land: cows, pigs, lamb and chickens rather than a single species.
• They rotate their crops, including hay and oats.
• Their hogs are raised from birth to slaughter.
• They use local processors for all their meat.
• Their chickens, lamb and beef, all hormone feed-grass fed. Pork and chicken is slightly supplemented with grain.

Hasselmann Family Farms is able to control the quality of our products with these sustainability practices. The end result is products that are highly flavorful, rich and nutritious! Hasselmann products are Animal Welfare Approved.

Hasselmann Family Farm’s are known for their amazing hormone and antibiotic free products that are raised outside. including:

• Farm Fresh Chicken and All Natural Eggs – From hens raised outdoors on pasture.
• Pork – known for its richness, moisture, tenderness and depth of flavor
• *Grass Finished Lamb – Our lambs are also pasture raised and they subsist on a diet of fresh grass and hay.

Farm Fresh Beef – We raise our cattle on pasture in the fresh air and sunshine. They eat fresh grass and are fed supplemental hay and grain as well. They are naturally raised meaning they receive no drugs or growth hormones.

We warmly welcome Hasselmann Family Farm to the Geneva Green Market family. Scott joined us this winter at the GGM,nfp sponsored Community Winter Market and is now with us at the Thursday market. In additon to Scott’s meat and eggs you may also get Illinois Stone Ground Flour and assorted flour mixes from him.

Can’t make it on Thursdays. You may also pick up Hasselmann Farm raised product at Inglenook Pantry (11 N. 5th St., Geneva, IL)

Chicago Tribune: Consumers are buying into organic farms
They believe in the health benefits of organic food but also see the ventures as investments. Article published June 28th, 2010

By Alejandra Cancino, Tribune reporter
Contact: mcancino [at] tribune [dot] com

Axel Burlin plucked oat grains from the farm field, rolled them around in his hand and marveled that he was growing cereal.

“Can I eat it?” the 10-year-old wondered out loud.

Axel was on his first visit to Two Roads Farm, a 400-acre organic farm in Shelby County in which his parents were investing $25,000.
As consumers become increasingly aware of what they eat, they are also taking control of where their food comes from. Some shop at farmers markets. Fewer go out and buy stakes in an organic farm.

It’s a small trend in Illinois that reflects the growing interest in organic food consumption. But the recession also has helped nurture this idea for people of means who want to invest their money in places other than the volatile, and now languishing, stock market or in certificates of deposit or savings accounts that pay 1 percent interest or less.

“It’s a safe investment,” said Dr. Stephen Rivard, who in 2006 diversified his portfolio by investing $75,000 in an organic farm. Since then, he has plunked down an additional $200,000 in two other farms. The return is not immediate, Rivard acknowledged, but he counts on eventually benefiting from increasing food prices and a steady rise in farmland value, especially because organic farms command higher prices than those where chemicals are used to kill pests and weeds.

Another investor, Howard Harris, said a side benefit is the fun his children have when visiting the farm: “The kids like saying that they are farmers.”

Axel’s mom, DD Burlin, is not only a believer that organic products are healthier and better for the environment, she said she is also helping test a model for organic agriculture than can be replicated around the country.

The River Forest mom also is a trained cook and for years has been focused on nutrition in preparing meals for her two boys and husband. Then last year she read “The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals” and realized she knew little about the origin of food.

The book prompted Burlin, 42, to buy food from local farmers who let their cows graze on pasture and didn’t spray vegetables with pesticides. But that wasn’t enough. She wondered how she could help other farmers move away from conventional agriculture so that more families would benefit. Then, at a conference on family farming, she met David Miller, a man on a mission to build an organic farm business that could compete with conventional farms.

He and his business partner, farmer Harold Wilken, like some others in the business, would help investors buy farmland and transition it to an organic operation. They would manage the farm through their enterprise, called Midwest Organic Farm Management.

Miller and Wilken started their business in 2006, challenged by the fact that less than 1 percent of Illinois farmland is certified organic. Transitioning a conventional farm into an organic operation takes at least three years. During that time synthetic herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers are not used. Also, genetically modified seeds aren’t planted.

Crop yields usually fall because the soil can’t produce as much. But the upside is that once the farm is certified organic, crops usually sell at higher prices, helping increase profits as well as the value of the land.

Miller and Wilken, who started with one farm four years ago, now manage eight farms. Five are organic and yielded organic crops last season — mainly corn, hay, oats and soybeans. The other three are transitioning to organic operations. Wilken supervises farm operations and the farmers, often offering advice from his seven years of farming organically.

The farms have different contracts with the farmers. In some cases, farmers split costs and profits with investors. And in others farmers lease the land and investors get rent.

Two Roads Farm investors expect to make a profit of 4 percent to 5 percent annually. Those investors include Burlin and her husband, Johannes, 45, president of Silliker Inc., a network of food testing and consulting laboratories.

Two weeks ago, Burlin packed her sport utility vehicle and drove nearly four hours southwest of River Forest to Two Roads Farm with her two children, Axel and Hans.

During their visit, the boys learned how organic farmers use crop rotations to replenish the fertility in the soil and Wilken took them and Burlin to the oat field to explain how he keeps weeds out by planting alfalfa between the oat plants in the spring when the ground is freezing and unfreezing.

the boys, it was a trip into a world they knew little about. They walked past a 1930s Sears house made from a kit that sat across from a field of soybeans. They watched a cow feed its calf. Keeping his distance, Axel wondered if the milk the calf was drinking tasted like the milk he drinks at home.

Hans wanted to know what farmers do with cows. “Do they shoot them?” he asked.

“No, they don’t shoot them,” Burlin said and smiled.
The tour ended on a dirt road dividing the cornfield from the oat field. The boys spotted round bales of hay and climbed on top of them.

“I’m pretending this is a train and I’m a giant,” said 8-year-old Hans, the younger of the two boys.

As the boys played, Miller and Burlin talked about raising turkeys and adding cows. The animal waste could help fertilize the soil, they said. As they walked toward the cornfield, they noted the weeds that grew because synthetic pesticides weren’t used. Weeds take nutrients from the soil that otherwise would nurture the corn plants, the farmers explained.

Miller bent down and started pulling weeds. Burlin followed suit. If a conventional farmer had seen them pulling weeds from a cornfield by hand, Burlin said, they would become the town’s laughingstock. They laughed at themselves.

Standing on a dirt road, Miller fixed his gaze on the horizon.

“Now you have been down the road less traveled,” Miller said to Burlin.

“I’m traveling,” Burlin said.

In it’s fourth season the Geneva Green Market, NFP partners with Delnor Community Hospital and Fit 4 Kane at the market to strenghten the focus on children and food. Highlighting food education, flavor flavors and learning ‘just where does all out food come from?”. Article was was highlighted in the My Surburban Life section of the Geneva Republican in an article by Frank Vaisvilas on Saturday, June 26, 2010:
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Geneva, IL -Organizers of the Geneva Green Market, no in its fourth season, long have been touting the benefits of organic eating, but a recent Harvard study now shows why the pesticide-free food could be especially important for children.

Published in the medical journal Pediatrics’ May issue, the study linked exposure to organphoshates, which are found in pesticides, with the prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children ages 8-15.

“Organic, naturally grown fruits and vegetables here are one more reason why it’s good,” Green Market organizer Connie Weaver said.

“We already eat so much natural and organic food, (the study) wasn’t a huge concern for us,” Kacsh said, adding it could be worrying for families who do most of their shopping at grocery stores.

Regardless of the study, vendors have been seeing a growing demand for organic food during the past few years. Sarah Thelen, who sells apples, peaches and other fruits at the Green Market on behalf of Hillside Orchards, said they use integrated pest management for their crop. Instead of pesticides, the system uses natural products such as mushroom, garlic and insect pheromones to deter pests.

“That’s the public demand for (organic food),” Thelen said. “People are paying attention more to what they’re eating. People are concerned with what their children are eating.”

New this year to the market is a Delnor Hospital booth designed to promote health and nutrition in children.

“We are trying to decrease childhood obesity by increasing health and wellness,” Delnor Education Specialist Shannon McCall said.

She said exercise combined with good nutrition helps reduce disease and organic, locally grown foods are better for health overall.

“Obviously, the fresher the produce, the better it’s going to be,” McCall said.

Brannon Anderson of Geneva said she buys organic food for her family, and especially likes shopping at the Green Market to support local farmers.

“It’s nice to buy everything local,” Anderson said. “You can do almost all your grocery shopping here.”

She said she aims to reduce her carbon footprint and teach her family how to appreciate produce that’s in season, rather than food that’s imported to be sold year-round at grocery stores.

Beth Propst, who represents Erehwon Farm at the Green Market, said early rains this year have led to early harvests of some crops, such as tomatoes, which already are beginning to ripen 10 to 14 days early and should be available by mid-July. She said organic fruits and vegetables also are more nutritious than “normal” produce because pesticides rob the soil of nutrients.

“A hundred years ago,” Propst said, “this was normal.”
If you go
WHAT: Geneva Green Market
WHERE: 75 N. River Lane
WHEN: 7am – 1 pm Thursdays through Oct. 28

A new study out of Harvard shows that even tiny, allowable amounts of a common pesticide class can have dramatic effects on brain chemistry.

Many people still believe that there is no nutritional difference between organic food and non-organic food, or that the amount of pesticides in non-organic food is insignificant.

The reality is that chemical farming damages the natural fertility of soil because it kills or suppresses the beneficial soil organisms that help ensure the nutrient richness of soil. The soil on an organic farm is loaded with these beneficial organisms and is chock-full of micro-nutrients. The result is that organically grown plants are healthier and more resistant to disease, and the food from them is more nutrient-rich. Research done at the University of California at Davis found that organically grown berries, corn and vegetables have over 50% more antioxidants than the same conventional crops. Studies also suggest that organic foods are higher in a variety of minerals.

Organic farming also does not cause the many problems associated with modern conventional farming, such as groundwater and streams that become polluted with pesticides or rivers and bays that are dying from oxygen deprivation due to fertilizer runoff.

So, that should dispel some of the common misconceptions about organic agriculture and organic food. The really good news is the taste of organic local food—most people believe it has much more flavor than food that has traveled the miles, particularly conventionally produced food.

Who regulates pesticides residue? Pesticide residues in food are limited by federal regulation. However, the US Environmental Protection Agency and Centers for Disease Control both released studies indicating that the average American carries a “body burden” of chemical pesticides, and other studies have shown similar results. The difference was statistically significant and meaningful to health:

the children who ate conventional diets had levels above the amount considered to be “negligible risk” by the EPA;
the children who ate mostly organic diets had levels BELOW the negligible-risk threshold.

You’ll note that fruits dominate the list of foods with the most pesticide residue. (The new Dirty Dozen) The main reason for this is that consumers have become very, very picky about fresh produce, and growers have discovered that, from an economic standpoint, it makes sense to douse everything with toxic chemicals so the fruits are completely blemish-free. But now that you know the dirty little secret about the pesticide residue in those “perfect” fruits, does it really make sense to put a higher priority on food beauty than on food safety?

Moreover, organic growers have come a long way since the early days (a few decades ago) and now routinely deliver excellent-quality produce, both in terms of appearance and taste. In fact, most people find that organic locally grown fruits taste better than conventionally grown fruits, and research has shown that organic fruits and vegetables are often higher in antioxidants.

Beginning Thursday, June 3, 2010, at 7a.m. the local food open-air farmer’s market organized and promoted by Geneva Green Market-NFP will start its fourth season. Leading the group this season as President, is localvore, community leader, and co-owner of Inglenook Pantry, Connie Weaver. Weaver is one of the original founding members of the Geneva Green Market-NPF. “We bring the “Farmer” to the market,” stated Connie and continued by urging everyone to “come and experience ‘Where the Fresh Is!’” Season plans to be a mix of something new and something familiar.

• Who: Geneva Green Market, NFP – Opening Day
• What: Geneva Green Market – We put the “Farmer” in the Market – a local food, green Farmers Market in Geneva, Illinois, for chefs, foodies and everyday people – local, sustainable, fresh food!
• When: Thursday, June 3, 2010 from 7 a.m. – 1p.m. and continues every Thursday thereafter through October 28th 2010
• Where: 75 N. River Lane Geneva, IL (alongside the mighty Fox River at Route 38 in downtown).
• Cost: Free
• More info: about GGM, NFP’s Season Four, please visit the organization’s website: www.genevagreenmarket.org or email us at: info [at] genevagreenmarket [dot] org.

Weaver informs us that starting this season the GGM-NFP will be displaying the Illinois Department of Agriculture’s logo as a recipient of a grant to promote Illinois Specialty Crops. In addition GGM-NFP will be continuing its pledge to help consumers know which products have been grown here in Illinois. “We are insistent that we have the farmer present at the market,” noted Weaver, “this way if any buys has questions about farming methods, soil preparation, or anything which pertains to the product – the farmer is there to answer.”

Once again people coming to the GGM Open Air market will enjoy food preparation demonstrations by local Fox Valley Chefs and the family focused/early childhood education program “Kid’s Corner”. Leading off the Chef Demos on opening day will be local favorite Matt Lennert of Geneva based The Moveable Feast. Most vendors from season three will be returning and some new vendors will round out the mix of locally created, grown, and produced foods.

This season the family-focused early childhood education program “Kid’s Corner” will be joined by Delnor Hospital’s Community Health and Outreach Department and the Fit4Kane coalition workgroups. Information about volunteering at “Kid’s Corner” is available at the Delnor Calendar page, email shannon [dot] mccall [at] delnor [dot] com or call Shannon McCall at 630-208-3996. Weaver noted that the partnership “will help our youth understand more about local food and nutrition.”

Weaver identified 19 vendors that will be participating in GGM’s Season Four and they are: Hasselman’s Family Farm. Orchard Patisserie, Pushing the Envelope Farm, Pur Prairie, Shaping by Dave, Twin Gardens, Planters Palette, Roedgers Brother Blueberries, Erehwon Farm, Heritage Prairie Farm, Hillside Orchard, Stojan’s Farm, Farm Direct Black Angus Meats, Perennial Pleasures, Curds and Why, Diana Vegetables, Inglenook Pantry, O’Leary’s Farm, and CC Black Angus.

Season Four starts Thursday, June 3, 2010 at 7 a.m. – 1p.m. and continues every Thursday through October 28th at 75 N. River Lane. Come and enjoy “Fresh” For up to date information about Season Four, Chef Demo’s, Kid’s Corner, Vendors, and for links for further information about Specialty Crops, Local Foods, and more please visit GGM’s website: www.genevagreenmarket.org.

For additional information about GGM, NFP’s Season Four, please contact Connie Weaver by email – info [at] genevagreenmarket [dot] org or you may reach by phone at 630.377.0434.

About Geneva Green Market, NPF

Geneva Green Market, NFP is a not-for-profit educational and distributional association that promotes the sale of locally produced specialty crops from family farms and local food producers. Educational activities inform the community, consumers, vendors, and other green markets. Vendors are carefully screened to assure they are providing local produce that is fresh, promotes biodiversity, is of the highest quality organic/sustainable food and is the basis of regional cuisine.

The Daily Herlad notes in the Jun 1, 2010 edition entitled “Green Market resumes”:

New this year are “Kid’s Corner” by Delnor Hospital and presentations by Fit4Kane coalition workgroups… The market features food grown and produced within 200 miles of the market.

The “Fit 4 Kane” coalition will dedicate resources to planning effective policy changes that improve the health of local children. Delnor and other local agencies and organizations will work collectively to create an environment throughout Kane County that fosters fitness and good nutritional habits.

If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Shannon McCall at 630-208-3996 or email shannon [dot] mccall [at] delnor [dot] com

For more information, please visit the Delnor Calendar page here.

Once again people coming to the GGM Open Air market will enjoy food preparation demonstrations by local Fox Valley Chefs and the family focused/early childhood education program “Kid’s Corner”. Leading off the Chef Demos on opening day will be local favorite Matt Lennert of Geneva based The Moveable Feast. Most vendors from season three will be returning and some new vendors will round out the mix of locally created, grown, and produced foods.

1. Reduce, reuse and repurpose. Get the best methods and tools for reducing your home and business waste, conserve resources, source reusable products and repurpose all that stuff you’ve stored away.
2. Learn what new green careers await you. Keep you and your family secure by finding your career in the green economy.
3. Get fueled with healthy food for body and mind! Discover the health benefits for you and your family by making the right food choices without sacrificing great taste and your budget.
4. Live lighter with a smaller and greener footprint. Find sustainable woods, organic cottons and repurposed and recycled materials that are perfect for your home, wardrobe or back yard. Hear from experts about how living lighter helps protect, conserve and preserve our communities and the planet.
5. Find out how to make your home toxin-free! Your next spring-cleaning can be just the time to create a healthier and safer home. Learn how to eliminate those chemicals that make the air inside your home toxic—from furnishings and carpets to paints and cleaners.
6. Bring the family and inspire the kids. Delightful surprises await families at the Green Kids’ Zone. Around every corner, cool products, green schools and fun workshops will inspire your family.
7. Learn to leverage social media to create social good! Social networking, blogs, Twitter, video… Learn how to leverage the power of social media for social good.
8. Make your home energy efficient. Put money back in the bank with the latest information about home and commercial energy efficiency and conservation techniques.
9. Beautify yourself without harmful toxins. Green Festival has vendors that only use certified organic ingredients in their body care products. From moisturizers to shampoos to makeup, you will find personal care products that provide beauty and good health, both inside and out.
10. Become conscientious about your consumption. Do good by supporting sustainable companies passionate about people- and planet-friendly products and services. Green Festival’s marketplace is the place to find responsible businesses and organization located right in your community.

Visit www.greenfestivals.org/chicago/ for Chicago Green Festival program schedule.

Celebrating what’s working in our communities, the Chicago Green Festival®, a joint project of Global Exchange and Green America, showcases more than 350 diverse local and national green businesses. More than 150 renowned speakers appear for insightful panel discussions and presentations.

• Who: Global Exchange and Green America
• What: Chicago Green Festival
• When: Saturday, May 22 2010, 10:00 am – 7:00 pm and Sunday, May 23 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
• Where: Navy Pier, 600 E Grand Ave Chicago IL
• Cost: Free
• Info: greenfestivals.org/chicago/

You’ll also enjoy great how-to workshops, a Fair Trade pavilion, a Green Home pavilion, an Organic Food and Gardening pavilion, a Community Action and Green Careers pavilion, a Sweet Spot Café, a Green Kid’s activities and delicious organic beer, wine and cuisine.

Find out how Midwest neighbors, community nonprofits and city departments are working together to make their cities healthier places to live.